Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Reflective Post on New Face (alice walker)


New Face

I have learned not to worry about love;
but to honor its coming
with all my heart.
To examine the dark mysteries
of the blood
with headless heed and
swirl,
to know the rush of feelings
swift and flowing
as water.
The source appears to be
some inexhaustible
spring
within our twin and triple
selves;
the new face I turn up
to you
no one else on earth
has ever
seen.


This is one of my favorite love poems, for several reasons. It speaks to me, as if I am reading my own thoughts. I ,myself, had to deal with the process of not worrying about love. Rather than being worried about love, I am patient and welcoming to it. I, also want to learn about love’s secrets ... selflessly. I want to enjoy the flowing emotions that it brings. To me the source of love is originated from God, and therefore had no end, since he has no end. We have multiple personalities, we take on depending on who we are with. The most precious or special character comes out when we are loved. So, I indeed feel like the author shares my same feelings on this topic.
Within class discussion, my blog group came across details that I will share with you (I’m only saying this, to let you know, this isn’t all my thought work). The first two lines, reminded me of the Bible’s “love is patient”, and how we should appreciate love, rather than be obsessed to an unhealthy extent. Jasmin thought that the blood in the fifth line could symbolize deep passion, since it’s color is deep red. David brought forth that the word “swirl” helped bring about a flowing sense of the love emotions being portrayed. The inexhaustible spring, as I said before, I believe is/or could be God, while also reusing the flowing theme. David added that the flowing now became a motif. Another comment he used was that a new person has come out of the experience of love (lines 13-15). The ending 4 lines, I personally think are beautiful, with the comparison to spring. Spring can be an out flowing, but also a season. This spring, brings about new life, and new “faces” as leaves fall and flowers bloom. Much like spring the lover opened the others heart to a renewed life/face. 
The author is a christian, and therefore knows what true love is. She captures it’s definition quite well within the poem. The poem in my eyes, is written with Christian views. The inexhaustible spring and flowing uses create a feel of spirit.
This piece and the knowledge I gained from reading and discussing it, is mainly that of viewing writting in many different angles. This way it is appreciated more and also adds to the feel of it. I could even say, “I learned to love this poem.”

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Creative post

Dear Government,
I just thought, you might want to know your hideous scheme is going to fall through.  You are probably laughing right now, thinking this is not a big deal. This is not a letter to be taken lightly. Well actually, I don’t care what you think or do, because either way we are breaking free.
If you don’t remember me, I was one of the technicians that were forced to reapply their handicaps. Well, when me and the other workers left, we decided to have a little talk. As an outcome of this little talk, none of us are wearing our handicaps. We are revealing the truth to many others. Soon, we will make up the whole population.
Our motifs are that of freedom. How can you say, you are helping us achieve and keep equality? We are wearing handicaps, and you are over lords?!?! No more! An older man among our group, spoke of this man his great grandfather would speak of. This man was know as Malcolm X. He had true ideas of equality and freedom. He once said, “It is criminal to teach man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.” Your ways of holding down “equality” is brutal, in mind and even the physical sense, as we saw recently. You blew the man’s life away with bullets, yet you didn’t realize that he wasn’t just flesh. He had an idea, he shared that idea, and it will be know forever. Once an idea is set in a mind, it won’t just disappear. Yes you killed the man, but his ideas are bullet proof. 
By the time you get this letter, majority of the society will have your secrets revealed. No one will be oppressed by your over lord ways any more. They will be enraged. We have already realized, there is no turning back now. We accept the fact that you may take our lives, but haven’t you already done so??? We will live the few moments of our lives with our own decisions, our own thoughts, our own feelings. 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

HARISSON BERGERON was willing to die for ... freedom?

        Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron is very attached to the time at which it was written. Considering he wrote from the 60’s where the government were seen as superiorly strong, and the people as hope, we can conclude that he had his views on society versus government(compared to our present day views). I find it challenging to think about in current times, and the future. The questioning reason he uses in the setting is something very vivd and true in today’s society. Majority claim they want true equality, but this short story goes against our very desire. I love the way he convinced me that true equality has its negatives. Going by the story, we understand that with each step to further equality, we are taking a step back form freedom. So, from that point the main point of the story isn’t how bad the government is, but actually which we find more important, freedom, equality, or an in between.
       As a christian, I strongly believe in both equality and freedom. Jesus gave us the freedom from the ways of this world, and God intends us to live under a mind set of equality. Yet, even with God equality has its boundaries. There can be no situation were everyone is perfectly equal and still in some way striving and living for a purpose, or is there? I think there is not, yet there is no concrete proof to take either stand. My decision is for the reasons that even in heaven there is inequality. Yes, it’s true. Think about how God rules over all, then consider how angels and humans aren’t on the same level. We can also bring in the evils. In God we are given the authority to over come all evil. 
      We should all give people of all backgrounds the same chances and the same treatment we give to others. Ultimately, going back to Kurt’s idea of society giving into suppression and even growing used to it, I agree that society has been following that idea. So, for some food for thought...Are you really free, or equal? Are you living by your own decisions, or formed by someone else's?

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

O death, you hypocrite!!!

Haunting those who don't know your secret,
Yet, ignoring those who know you're the OUTLET.
Scared are those thinking you surely are THE END
Praying those, knowing you're the start, a GODSEND.

STOP disguising yourself - a BIG BEAST
In our worries, you ARE,  THE LEAST.
Don't you know every time you try to curse,
it's a blessing, you work in reverse.

It's when God takes back his breath,
Then I will see you and smile
"Thank You Death"

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Thoughts On "Metaphor" by Sylvia Plath

Metaphors

I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there's no getting off.
Sylvia Plath


       The author (Sylvia Plath) does an amazing job creating a challenging literary piece. Straight from the beginning, she starts off the poem with an interesting mystery, by identifying it as a riddle. At first, there is a feeling of anticipation and a hint of confusion within the reading of the metaphors. Once having read the poem all the way through, the metaphors come together and made more sense. She was pregnant. Solving the riddle, the mystery behind the metaphors cleared up, but also left another challenge. Now, i was wondering wether the metaphors were positive or negative feelings.The “elephant” for me brought up words like: big, slow, and awkward (elephant in the room). This seems negative to me, but then comes the fourth line with definite positivity. “O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers”, resembles a worth and desire for her baby. Not being able to compare her emotions , I convinced myself it was a mixture feelings. As a final conclusion on her feelings, I believe she was indeed happy for her baby, but sick and tired of the lingering pregnancy. I derived the concept of her being tired of the pregnancy, because the constant and repeating use of the number nine. There are nine syllables, nine metaphors, nine letters in pregnancy and in metaphors, and of course there is nine months in a pregnancy. This constant returning factor must have played a big role for her. 
Being a man, the emotions she captures aren’t easily understood, but they make sense. The awkwardness of being pregnant (elephant), yet the joy (red fruit, ivory...), and also the embrace (no getting off), are things she captures well, but I will never know what she really felt like. Imagine mixed feelings like this for nine months. I don’t think she was wrong with her feelings. Who wouldn’t love their baby, yet still feel drained and gloomy from a pregnancy? It’s normal. The bible even mentions birth pains, yet the joy of parenting. 
Love is present in this poem. Love to go through the frustration, through the awkwardness, through the nine months, for a life long relationship.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I want people to question reality

If I were to leave a mark on this world, it would be within peoples minds. I've never been a big fan of wanting to build something extravagant in the physical aspect, but I tend to lean towards the unseen. I have a knack in trying to "blow" people's minds. For me, my mind is "blown", whenever I just don't quite know how to comprehend something. Chris Nolan did this to many people with his hit movie "INCEPTION." He deserves much respect, for taking ten years of writing the story, and then also being able to produce a film capturing his exact thoughts. Personally, I am a film fanatic, and Nolan's way of filming and creating images we perceive as one thing, but really being another just "blew" me away. I like being engaged and engaging others to questionable thoughts in any way possible. It's the way the Maker made me. When I have deep conversations with people, I will not constantly throw out my thoughts without thinking them over. (James 1:19) I like my conversations to end, with the other person and even me to leave with food for thought. I want to remembered as a man that challenged and refined people's ideas and beliefs. With a calling of youth ministry on my life, I am looking forward to engaging the youth's minds and really have them start thinking, instead of just listening, and as they listen, that the LORD will blow their minds. I want the youth to question reality as it is. Can earth really be it? Why am I we constantly searching for more? Is Jesus the answer? ... and as they engage in these thought, the LORD will soften their hearts and open their ears to hear the truth, I will speak into them.

If your mind hasn't been "blown" lately, I hope you will enjoy this video (This is Madd Chadd, my favorite Dancer, his form of dancing is called, "technical movement" aka the Robot)